Tag Archives: Kyrgyzstan

Uzbekistan restarts gas to Kyrgyzstan

>>Re-starting gas supplies could improve relations>>

DEC. 30 2014, (The Conway Bulletin) — Uzbekistan has restarted gas supplies to Kyrgyzstan, ending an eight-month embargo.

This is significant as Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan relations had seemingly been drifting from bad to worse over border rows, water management and energy issues. Analysts had identified the cross-border tension as potentially destabilising to the whole region.

Media quoted Tahir Alimov, deputy director in Osh for Gazprom Kyrgyzstan, as saying that the gas started
flowing once again from Uzbekistan at 3am on Dec. 30. The resumption of gas supplies will be a major boon to Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev.

Kyrgyzstan has been negotiating with other countries across Central Asia to make up for the shortfall in Uzbek deliveries but, realistically, Kyrgyz officials were always going to fall short of making up for the lack of Uzbek gas.

Uzbekistan had switched off the gas supply to Kyrgyzstan in April when the current deal expired. Uzbekistan said that Kyrgyzstan didn’t want to negotiate a new deal.

Kyrgyzstan said that Uzbekistan wanted too high a price. At the same time Russia’s Gazprom completed a deal to buy Kyrgyzstan’s gas company and it seems that it, and not the Kyrgyz government, was able to negotiate a new deal.

Kyrgyz news agency 24.kg said that Uzbekistan and a Switzerland-based Gazprom-owned company had renegotiated the deal.

Perhaps, Gazprom has acted as a peace-maker.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 213, published on Jan. 7 2015)

Kyrgyzstan reportedly blocks news website

DEC. 16 2014, (The Conway Bulletin) — The Kloop news website in Kyrgyzstan said the authorities blocked access to it after it posted a video apparently showing young Kazakh children fighting for the radical IS group in Syria. The owners of the website accused the government of over-reacting and pandering to Kazakhstan which has decreed the video illegal.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 213, published on Jan. 7 2015)

Kyrgyzstan and the Eurasian Union

DEC. 8 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Alongside Armenia, Kyrgyzstan will finally join the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union in 2015 despite few analysts deeming it ready or suited to full membership.

Bishkek will sign accession documents on Dec. 23, although it could be May before it adopts the protectionist taxes slapped on goods from outside the union, Kyrgyz PM Djoomart Otorbayev told journalists.

Eurasian Economic Union officials have even said they will allow Chinese goods “for domestic consumption” to enter Kyrgyzstan according to pre-existing Kyrgyz tariffs for an unspecified period of time, a concession that suggests other members view Kyrgyzstan’s membership as symbolic.

Kyrgyzstan first agreed in 2010 to enter a trade bloc with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan — the current members of the Customs Union which will morph into the Eurasian Economic Union next year — so it has been a long wait.

But Kyrgyzstan has an economy a tenth the size of Belarus’, an unresolved row over ownership of the Kumtor gold mine, its single largest industrial unit, and worries about rising inflation. This makes it a potential weak link.

Arkady Gladilov, editor of local analytical website polit.kg noted that Kyrgyzstan has had three prime ministers in the time it has been committed to joining the bloc. He said the government may have been dragging its feet over Eurasian Economic Union accession.

“Russia is facing a difficult time with sanctions, and Kyrgyzstan’s own picture is far from rosy. If I were them, I would probably do the same in their position,” he told the Conway Bulletin.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)

Russia boosts its airbase in Kyrgyzstan

DEC. 9 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Russia increased the number of military planes at its base outside Bishkek, the eurasianet.org website reported. Quoting Russian media, eurasianet.org said Russia had moved five SU-25SM ground attack jets to Kant, the airbase. The US quit its airbase outside Bishkek earlier this year.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)

NGOs row in Kyrgyzstan

DEC. 8 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – At least 40 NGOs in Kyrgyzstan signed a petition urging Pres. Almazbek Atambayev to avoid signing into law a bill which will make overseas funding illegal, media reported. Mr Atambayev has previous said the law is important because it prevents foreign states from using NGOs to spy on Kyrgyzstan. The NGOs say the funding is a vital lifeline.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)

Kyrgyzstan opens embassy in Dubai

DEC. 5 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Perhaps in a push to boost investment from the Gulf States, Kyrgyzstan will open an embassy in Dubai. President Almazbek Atamabayev announced the opening of a new embassy while on a trip to the UAE. Kyrgyzstan has slowly been increasing its international presence over the past year.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 212, published on Dec. 10 2014)

Kyrgyz inflation rises

DEC. 1 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – The devaluation of the manat, the Kyrgyz currency, and slowing economic growth have combined to push inflation in Kyrgyzstan up to 8.5%, the World Bank said in a report quoted widely by local media. The World Bank also said that it expected inflation to keep rising towards 10%. This could mean social trouble.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Kyrgyzstan initiates tender for new hydropower stations

NOV. 26 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyzstan has invited companies to compete in a tender to build two hydropower stations, hydroworld.com, the industry new website, reported. The projects, supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), highlight how important hydropower is to Kyrgyzstan.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Kyrgyzstan approaching EEU

DEC. 1 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Kyrgyz PM Djoomart Otorbayev said the country would sign treaties on Dec. 23 with Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan that effectively amount to an accession agreement to the Kremlin-led Eurasian Economic Union at the start of 2015. Armenia has already signed an accession deal.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)

Kazakhstan supplies power to Kyrgyzstan

DEC. 2 2014 (The Conway Bulletin) – Under a deal thrashed out last month, Kazakhstan started supplying Kyrgyzstan with electricity, media reported. Kyrgyzstan has been desperate to secure electricity because of a dry summer that has left reservoirs feeding hydropower sites low on water.

ENDS

(News report from Issue No. 211, published on Dec. 3 2014)